The Lagos State Government has arrested five individuals for engaging in open defecation during an enforcement operation at Ebute Ero and surrounding areas on Lagos Island.
The arrests took place during an early morning monitoring exercise aimed at curbing open defecation and other environmental nuisances. The operation is part of the state’s ongoing efforts to improve sanitation, protect public health, and promote environmental responsibility.
The enforcement was carried out by officials of the Anti-Open Defecation Squad, who have intensified surveillance in areas identified as hotspots for sanitation violations.
Speaking on Thursday, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the initiative is part of broader strategies to discourage acts that deface public spaces and undermine Lagos State’s sanitation standards.
He explained that the suspects were apprehended during routine patrols and taken to the enforcement office at Sura–Simpson for preliminary investigation and documentation.
The commissioner added that the individuals would later be transferred to the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) headquarters in Oshodi, where they will face prosecution under the state’s environmental sanitation laws.
Wahab reiterated the government’s commitment to sustained enforcement against environmental offenders, warning that anyone caught engaging in open defecation or other sanitation violations would be apprehended and prosecuted to ensure Lagos remains clean, safe, and habitable.
